So, this is a test to see how accurately voice recognition on the Nexus One works. I can say that, without a doubt, it works quite well. I’m typing now, but the first sentence–”So, this . . .”–was spoken into my Nexus One, transcribed into WPtoGo, and uploaded from my N1 to my blog! Pretty incredible. I think that as I become more adept with using the voice recognition, and learning the workflow–dictate to draft to upload–I’m going to start liking this whole blogging thing a lot more.
When I got my Nexus One yesterday, I was pleased to find out that I get almost all the connectivity and functionality on WiFi that I would on the air with T-mobile. Good thing too, because provisioning my new internet access with TM is progressing rather slowly, if at all. I was told it could take up to 48 hours!
I did want to jot down a few notes about my first impressions of this great little phone. First, the comparisons with the “other” superphone (one that starts with an “i”) are somewhat misleading. To compare the Nexus One with the iPhone is really and apples and oranges comparison, in terms of concept if not functionality.
The Nexus One is a great phone, but I believe it was conceived to be first a Google accessory or client. Over the last few months, I have been slowly switching over more and more Google apps. In fact, I have gotten to the point now, where I seldom open Outlook, except perhaps to find old emails that I have archived there from my pre-Google days. Google’s desktop “suite” has pretty much everything I need, and I am becoming an advocate of “cloud” computing. That is, I am developing a preference for having my information accessible from anywhere on any machine, as opposed being tethered to my laptop.
The Nexus One makes the ideal companion for my style of computing (almost). Having Gmail on hand, as well as my Google Calendar, gives me 90% of what I use my computer for on a daily basis. And since I’ve never been an iPhone user, I have not had to unlearn a lot of iPhone habits. Because I migrated over from a Blackberry Curve, I have had to start learning to accommodate the Nexus’ on-screen keyboard. However, I don’t miss some of the iPhone tricks (e.g. “pinch-to-focus”) that someone who grew up in an iPhone environment has become dependent on. One of the criticisms I have seen of the Nexus One is that “it isn’t intuitive”. It is only not-intuitive, if your experience has been on device (the iPhone) that doesn’t follow a lot of PC (“personal computer”, not “politically correct”) conventions. The world I’ve lived in until now has been “double tap” and “drag and drop”, so I don’t miss not being able to “pinch”. The Nexus for me is a wonderful step up from more limited functionality of my Blackberry, and a giant leap forward in integration with the rest of the Google suite.
So, that’s what this wonderful new phone is: it is first and foremost a Google platform device. If you don’t have any use for Google, another smart phone might be better suited to you. If you’re a raw beginner, the iPhone or the Nexus One would be equally easy to learn–or difficult to learn if you are technophobic.
I be updating this thread in the next few days. I’ll probably have more to offer when I’m finally online with T-mobile’s data service.
Yesterday, I heard from Gabe Akiyama in the HR department at my prospective new employer, Multicare in Tacoma. I’m excited to be starting there. From what I’ve heard it is a great organization. I will be instructing doctors, nurses and flow staff for the Epic implementation at Multicare’s Good Samaritan hospital in Puyallup. Hey, wasn’t I just there–in Puyallup I mean?
I have been following the travels of my new Google Nexus One superphone as it makes its way from Indiana to my place. I used the FedEx online tracking tool just a few minutes ago. It’s in Tacoma, or possible already on a truck out of Tacoma. Could I possibly see it this morning?
I’ve already called T-mobile to see what I have to do to get it online when it gets here. I notice that Android Guys has an article about T-mobile’s recent network upgrade! It’s Christmas all over again! (Or possibly my birthday early).